Chapter 31: Mother

Author: Kurohitsuji
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2086fk/32/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

When I show my face at the guild, Liza worries about me like crazy.
Apparently my eyes were still red. I messed up.
Unnyu. I thought the swelling had gone down.

“Ouka, are you really all right? If something happened I’ll go raid them, you know?”
“Please don’t say dangerous things. You’re the only comfort I have.”
“Oh, excuse me. But I am actually worried?”

Same as always. She smiles at me, warm. It settles me.

“I’m all right. If something happened I’ll settle it myself.
Ah, but if it gets to where I can’t, please help me.”
“Say so properly when that happens, okay?”
“Yes… ah, I’m going out for a bit, so please tell the guildmaster too.”
“I see. Take care.”
“Okaaay. I’m off.”

I leave the Adventurer’s Guild, go straight through the city gate, and then.
Once I’ve checked there’s no one watching, into the sky.
I fly a little slower than usual.

○○○○○○○○

Same as last time, I come down before the town and trudge.
I avoid the town gate as if hiding and go in by a back way.

It isn’t that I have something to feel guilty about, but somehow.
Right now I don’t have the confidence I could act as usual even if I met someone I know.

In the end I don’t meet anyone until I reach the church.

○○○○○○○○

I sneak up from the back yard, over the wall, and peek into the chapel through a window.
Sister Naria is praying, same as always.
Her long silver hair catches the sun and sparkles.
It feels like I haven’t seen her face in a long time.
It hasn’t actually been that long.

Terribly nostalgic, like my chest is tightening.
Holding that feeling, I start to call out, but the words won’t come, and I lean on the wall.

I can’t not tell her what I learned at the castle.
But maybe. I think it’ll be all right, surely.

She might reject me.

That, just that, was scary.

…I’ll go home today. I think that, and take my back off the wall, when—

“…Ouka?”
“Hyai!?”

She speaks through the wall, and the shock comes out in my voice.
Eh, how did she know!?

“Ah, you were there after all. I had a feeling.”
“What kind of hunch is that.”
“I don’t serve the gods for show. So, what did you pull?”
“Eh… why?”
“After a prank, you always talked through the wall like this.”

Ah. I see. That might be true.
…Now that I’m caught, I can’t not say it.
I press a tight fist to my chest and squeeze the words out.

“…It isn’t a prank.”
“It isn’t?”
“Yeah. Listen, I… I’m not, human, apparently.”
“Oh, is that so. How surprising.”

…Nn?

“Isn’t that way too light?”
“Eh? Because you’re Ouka. Nothing changes.”

“…”
“You are my daughter. No matter what happens, that doesn’t change.”

“…”
“More to the point, what about food today? Can you eat with us?”

“…No. I’m leaving, right away.”
“I see… take care of yourself. You were always getting hurt.”

“…Yeah.”
“As for food… well, if it’s you, you’re eating properly, aren’t you.”

“Yeah.”
“Come home whenever you like.”

“Yeah! I’m off, Mother!”
“Take care. Be careful.”

Body and heart, I felt somehow lighter.
But it’s embarrassing, so I ignite the boosters at once. I soar straight into the sky.

The gazes around me don’t matter right now.
If I stay long my resolve will dull. I haven’t finished yet. I can’t go back to the church to stay.

First, to Gernika.
There, I’ll look for my roots.

“Ring, do you know the way?”
“—Searching… confirmed the relevant ruins. Displaying on the map.”
“Ah, this way. Thanks.”
“—Ouka. I’m at your side too.”
“…Thanks, partner.”

○○○○○○○○

I fly a while past the forest where elves live, and beyond it the port town Asura comes into view.
Closer to my town than the capital, but lots of people coming and going.
Beyond that, the sea, spreading as far as it goes.
I only saw it once when I was little, but it was this wide?
The sun sinks on the far side of the water, and ships lit orange by it make wakes as they go.
It’s quite a sight. I’m getting a little excited.

All right. Shall I take an inn here today.

The first inn that catches my eye luckily has a room, so I just sign in.
First time in this place. Then first, fill the stomach.
A port town, so should I go for seafood.
Or should I aim for unusual ingredients.
Uumu. Hard to choose.

Well, in the end I lost to the stall temptation and bought as I walked.
I mean, fresh salt-grilled shrimp, you know.
I polished off three like it was nothing.

The sake-steamed shellfish I saw at a stall looks easy to copy right away.
A drop of soy would make it even better, I think. I’ll try it sometime.
After that I tried skewered fish, grilled kraken tentacle, a platter of spiced orc, that sort of thing.

All of it was unusual, and delicious.

Around here it looks hard to reproduce myself, but… I remember the taste, so I might manage.

Along the way there was an accident where a lapis lazuli pendant caught my eye and Ring sulked, but it was a very peaceful evening.
I mean, is Ring in the pendant category? Not a ring?
I do hang it from my neck, true.

Still. How do I put it.
This morning I couldn’t even get food down, and now I’ve already easily eaten three people’s worth.

I was saved by that one line from Sister Naria.

Even so, I’m a bit appalled at myself, how cash I am.
Well, switching gears fast is an advantage of mine. I’ll call it good.

More than that right now, that stall’s grilled corn is bothering me.
They seem to be brushing it with soy and grilling it over open flame; a savory smell is spreading everywhere.
No reason not to buy it. Prices are cheaper than the capital, too.
I was this close to forgetting what the trip was for.

…Fussing isn’t like me.
Anyway, eat something good and you’ll feel better. I should.

I’ve been eating so steadily I can feel gazes from around, but once I’m full that kind of small thing won’t matter.
Delicious is always justice.

“Ah, mister! One order of those takoyaki too!”